“America's Favorite Drive”

Outstanding scenery and recreational opportunities make the Blue Ridge Parkway one of the most popular sections of the National Park System. Named "America's Favorite Drive," the 469-mile scenic road, offers stunning vistas, hiking and cycling opportunities.

The seed was planted for a scenic road through the Blue Ridge Mountains when North Carolina geologist Joseph Hyde Pratt proposed a mountain toll roll stretching from Marion, VA, to Tallulah, GA. World War I halted work on the road, but the idea of a scenic road persisted.The construction of the Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park turned into a serendipitous event when President Franklin Roosevelt visited the construction site in 1933. Senator Harry Flood Byrd recommended that the roadway extend to the newly created Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Roosevelt thoroughly endorsed this idea, and plans on began on a new public works project: the "Park-to-Park Highway."

Work on the Blue Ridge Parkway began on September 11, 1935, near Cumberland Knob, NC. The majority of the work was completed by private contractors under federal contracts, but other agencies assisted. New Deal public works agencies, Works Progress Administration personnel, crews from the Emergency Relief Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps camps and Civilian Public Service workers cleared brush, drilled rock and did other manual labor tasks. The project offered the chance to earn a paycheck in difficult times-a wonderful opportunity for many mountain residents.

World War II caused construction on the Parkway to halt. In the 1950s, the creation of Mission 66, a National Park Service development program, renewed interest in completing the Parkway. The majority of the Parkway was completed by 1966, except for a small portion near Grandfather Mountain, NC. In 1987, the Linn Cove Viaduct was created so the Parkway could pass by Grandfather Mountain without damaging the rugged terrain. Once the viaduct was installed, the Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park were forever linked.

The Blue Ridge Parkway has numerous entrances in Asheville. Enter the Parkway at US 25 in South Asheville, US 70 in East Asheville, US 74 near Fairview and NC 191 in South Asheville.

Popular Parkway overlooks for viewing Western North Carolina's scenic beauty include: Cold Mountain overlook, the namesake of the best selling novel and movie, at Milepost 412 Looking Glass Rock overlook, a distinct rock formation named for the way water and ice reflects off mountain's granite surface, Milepost 417 Graveyard Fields overlook, the barren scenery is reminiscent of the moor of England, Milepost 418.8.

We drove the entire route from Ashville down to Athen, and were totally blown away by the scenery. The road is just majestic, easy to drive, never too busy and plenty of areas to pullover to appreciate the sheer beauty of the mountains and forests! Best time to go is Aug-October when the trees are changing color, we saw the most incredible landscapes with trees giving off the most surreal colors... red, yellow, green, brown, orange...
Must-do drive!

We just drove this parkway in August 2014 for the first time. Just beautiful. Stopped at most of the overlooks because the views were stunning.
The gradual drive into Asheville NC was full of scenery and very calming

Beautiful scenic drive! 10/10
The views were absolutely beautiful. We even stopped to go swimming along the way.
Make sure you have some snacks and petrol, otherwise you have to turn off the highway for a good 20-30 mins sometimes.